Improvement in key-fasteners



UNITED STATES PATENT Orr-Ion.

ALFRED W. SPERRY, OF WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN KEY-FASTENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No- 155,68l, datedOctober 6, 1874; application filed July 25, 1874. c

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED W. SPERRY, of Wallingford, New Haven county, Connectiout, have invented a new and Improved Key- Fastener, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 representsa front view, and Fig. 2 a side view, of my improved burglar-proof key-fastening device as applied to a key in the lock; and Fig.

ing device for keys for preventing their beingturned or otherwise tampered with when the same is in closed position.

My invention consists of a pointed shaft or arbor with a hook-shaped part keyed thereto, in connection with a slotted and pointed cam sliding thereon for being opened and attached to the'key by a pivoted lever acting on a projecting pin or stud of the cam.

In the drawing, A represents a shaft or arbor of suitable length with tapering ends, to be placed in the key-hole of the lock. The hook-shaped part B is keyed centrally to shaft A, and recessed sidewise along its shaft-embracing part, so as to form at the beginning of the hook part a shoulder, a. A cam-eccentric, C, slides, by an oval central slot, 1), on the grooved shaft a along the recessed part of hook B, and acts by a hook-shaped extensionpoint, (1, together with the hook B, on the stem of the key after being applied thereto. A forked lever, D, is pivoted to shaft A, embracing hook B and cam eccentric C, and swinging readily in either direction on the shaft till engaging a pin or stud, e, of the cameccentric C near the hook-point when carried toward the rear part of the hook, and causing thereby the sliding down of cam C along shaft A, and the consequent opening or spreading of the hook-points.

By carrying the lever D in opposite direction, it comes in contact with the eccentric part of the cam C, and forces the same toward the hook B until its point dis arrested by shoulder 1;. Hook B, as well as hook-point d, embraces in this position firmly the stem of the key, so that, when the bolt is completely thrown, and the fastener applied to the key, with the shaft extending into the key-hole, any attempt at turning the key from the outside, so as to release the same from the lock and allow the introduction of skeleton keys or similar instruments is utterly frustrated by the firm wedge-gripe exerted by the hook-points on the key-stem.

The fastener is either carried in the pocket when traveling, and attached by an end perforation in the lever D to the key-ring, or is hung by a chain to each lock to be used as required, forming thereby a very ingenious, durable, and convenient burglar-proof key-fastening device.

Theslotted cam slides in the circumferential groove of the shaft, and resists, by its steady position thereon, any attempts at pnshing the shaft inward from the outside, which is an important point, as the gripe of the hook-points only prevents the turning of the key.

- Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A burglar-proof key-fastener, consisting of central shaft A, fast hook part B, sliding, slotted, and pointed cam-eccentric C, and pivoted operating'lever D, all arranged and applied substantially as specified.

2. The slotted cam-eccentric C, having projecting stud e, in combination with pivoted forked lever D for being opened and closed, as described.

. 3. The recessed hook B, having projecting 

